


Give Me Something Real

by earlgreyroses



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Birthday Party, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Birthday Noctis, M/M, prompto sucks at cake decorating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 21:45:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11953257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreyroses/pseuds/earlgreyroses
Summary: Noctis doesn't like birthdays. Prompto wants to change that.





	Give Me Something Real

Noctis never cared much about his birthday. It was just another day, albeit one where Ignis didn’t try to coerce him into eating salads and he got to sleep in an extra hour. His dad would stop in to hug him and give him birthday wishes, and Ignis and Gladio would come by for a brief dinner. It was all routine, all ceremony. None of it felt genuine. None of it felt _real_.

This year, he actually hadn’t even remembered it was his birthday in the first place. Prompto had come over to stay at his apartment the night before, but that was just the same as normal: since they’d gotten together, Prompto spent more time at Noct’s place than at his own. But when Noctis woke up without bedhead tickling his nose and with Prompto conspicuously missing, he realized quickly that _something_ was up. Not bothering to get properly dressed, Noctis stumbled shirtless out into the living room.

It looked like a party store war zone.

There were balloons and decorations everywhere. Prompto was standing on his tiptoes, trying to tape up a brightly-colored paper banner that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOCTIS” in huge blocky letters. Gladio had apparently shown up, too, and was standing behind him with an amused smirk plastered to his face as he watched. 

“Need some help there, blondie?” he asked. 

“No, I got it!” Prompto said with no shortage of determination. “Just, uh, could you maybe hand me another piece of tape?” He tried, evidently not for the first time, to jump high enough to stick a tiny piece of tape over the end of the banner’s string. He missed it by about three inches, and his frustration was palpable. 

“Prompto, might I suggest standing on a chair?” Ignis sighed from the kitchen. “If you keep that up, you’ll tire yourself out long before we’ve even started.”

Noctis cleared his throat. “So, what’s this?”

Prompto turned towards him and beamed. “G’morning, birthday boy! You couldn’t shake us off that easy!”

“Shake you off?” Noctis yawned. “What do you mean?” 

“Prompto’s been grumpy all week that you didn’t tell him your birthday was coming up,” Gladio explained, taking Prompto’s distraction as his chance to tape up the banner himself. “He asked us if we’d give him a hand decorating your place. Wouldn’t leave us alone until we said yes.” 

“Don’t try to save face, Gladiolus, you were on board the moment he asked.” Ignis leaned out of the kitchen to shoot Gladio a long-suffering look. Gladio grunted and looked away. “I’ll admit, it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but the idea grew on me.”

Prompto rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t _mad._ I just...I was worried you thought I wouldn’t care, or something.” 

A knot of guilt had worked itself up into Noctis’s throat. “Prompto, it wasn’t that,” he insisted. “It’s more--” 

“Oh.” Prompto’s face fell suddenly. “I...shit, I didn’t even ask. You have other plans, don’t you?” 

“No!” Noctis yelped. The knot of guilt had firmly wrapped itself around his windpipe. “No, Prompto, it’s not that at all. I just don’t really... _care_ about my birthday. It’s not something that matters to me.” 

Prompto furrowed his brow. “I don’t get it, but I’ll take your word for it.” He paused. “I’m not taking down the decorations, though, these took us ages.” 

“Hey, I’m not complaining.” Noctis walked over and dragged Prompto into a hug, ruffling his hair and relishing the indignant squawk from his boyfriend. “I just don’t want you to think it was because I don’t like you, or whatever.” 

“I know you like me,” Prompto mumbled, leaning his head against Noct’s. “I just don’t want to be a bother, you know?” 

“Young love. How cute,” Gladio snorted. 

“Hey, you cried when you saw Ignis at your anniversary dinner!” Prompto shot back. Noctis broke down into a fit of hysterical cackling, and Ignis attempted to stifle his laughter as Gladio struggled for a witty retort that never came. 

“Come, now, let’s be mature,” Ignis said, still barely keeping himself together. “The cake is in the oven, breakfast is ready, and I think it’s time we took a break.” He leaned out of the kitchen again to gesture towards the table. “Prompto, will you help me serve the eggs?” 

“I’m really bad at spatulas,” the blond warned, but he went to assist anyway. 

Noctis couldn’t help but smile. His birthdays always felt empty before, but now, he was starting to understand the appeal.

\---

“What’s that blob supposed to be?” Gladio said flatly. He was hovering over Prompto’s shoulder as Prompto decorated the cake.

“It’s a fish, _duh,”_ Prompto said, adding a candy dot for an eye. “See? That’s it’s head, and those are its fins.” 

“Questionable. At least you spelled everything right this time.” Gladio reached over and stole a candy dot out of the bowl before Prompto could smack his hand away.

“I was under a lot of pressure! It’s easy to forget stuff!” Prompto whined.

“What, like an ‘h’?” 

_“Yes,_ like an ‘h’!” 

“I dunno,” Noctis drawled sarcastically from his spot on the couch. He'd finally gotten dressed after about 20 minutes of coaxing. “I think ‘Happy Birtday Noctis’ is charming.” 

“You’re the worst boyfriend _ever!”_ Prompto groaned. “Next year I’m telling Ignis to make you a spinach cake.” 

Noctis narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.” 

“I see no reason to make a spinach cake when carrot cake exists,” Ignis said thoughtfully between sips of ebony. 

“That’s it. Both of you are traitors.” Noctis turned in place and pointed. “Gladio, you’re my only friend now.” 

“Sorry, Prince Charmless, I’m more afraid of Iggy than I am of you.” Gladio grinned. Ignis smiled back and gave an approving nod. 

“Great,” Noctis sighed dramatically. “That’s fine. Prompto’s lumpy frosting fish can be my friend.” 

“I heard that!” Prompto shouted.

\---

The party was actually enjoyable, Noctis had to admit. Yeah, maybe Prompto and Gladio had gotten into a squabble and ended up with frosting in their hair, and Noctis had accidentally sneezed and gotten flour all over Ignis’s clothes, which made Ignis sneak a handful of sprouts into Noct’s slice of cake as revenge, but it was good. For once he wasn’t _Prince Noctis._ He was just _Noctis,_ having a party with his best friends.

After Ignis and Gladio left, it was just him and Prompto curled up in bed. Prompto was warm and smelled like conditioner after his shower and fit so nicely in Noct’s arms. 

“So how was it?” Prompto said softly. Noctis pulled him closer and hummed. 

“It was good. You really put a lot into it, huh?” 

Prompto nodded. “I never really had a birthday party, or anything, so...I thought it would be fun to throw one for you.” 

Noctis didn’t want to think about the implications of that, so he opted to just nuzzle into his hair in lieu of an answer. He’d figure something out for Prompto’s birthday if it killed him, but that was business for another day. Right now, Prompto was here with him, and Noctis was exhausted. 

He was just about to drift off to sleep when Prompto suddenly sat bolt upright. 

“Shit! I forgot to give you your present!” he gasped, throwing the blanket off and scrambling to the other room. Noctis sat up, startled out of his sleepy daze, just as Prompto took a flying leap and landed on the bed with a messily-wrapped gift in hand.

“You didn’t have to get me anything, Prom…” Noctis murmured. 

Prompto fidgeted nervously with the bow on the package. “I know, but I wanted to. You always do so much for me, and I wanted to repay you somehow.” His eyes looked like stars in the dim light. Noctis had to remind himself to breathe. “Open it.” 

Noctis took it, still transfixed, and pulled off the wrapping paper. Underneath was a hardback photo album, with a blue cover with little fish on it. 

“I think it’s supposed to be for pet photos, but I thought you might like it,” Prompto added hastily. Noctis nodded, opening it. Inside were photos of them, dating back to when they first became friends. About halfway through, Prompto had tucked the menu from where they went on their first “official” date, and there were numerous other keepsakes scattered amongst the pages. 

“Prom…” Noctis began, but his heart caught in his throat. It was so heartfelt, so _Prompto,_ that he thought he might have tears in his eyes. 

“Is it okay?” Prompto frowned. “I wanted to get you something nicer, but…” 

“It’s perfect,” Noctis whispered, and threw his arms around his boyfriend’s neck. “You’re perfect. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Prompto whispered back, and kissed the side of his head. “Happy birthday, Noctis.” 

“Thank you.” He pulled back, and kissed Prompto with every ounce of love he had.

Noctis never cared much about his birthday. It was all routine, all ceremony. But sometimes there came times when he took a step back to look at the people there with him, all the people who cared for him and loved him most. And that, Noctis thought, made next year seem a little more exciting.

**Author's Note:**

> full disclosure, Prompto misspelling "happy birthday" is 100% autobiographical. 
> 
> I typed this up in 45 minutes with one sock on because I remembered it was Noct's birthday halfway through getting dressed. also, proofreading is for scrubs. 
> 
> come hang out with me on [tumblr](http://www.issun-boshi.tumblr.com).


End file.
